Chapter 16: Nonsense Talk
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"You're simply a monster. The most impressive initial status panel I've seen so far is Riveria's, with nine spells and two skills," Loki mused, leaning in close to study Izzy's stats. "But you... Even though you're temporarily short on spells, you're not inferior to her at all."
Loki smacked her lips, staring at the rare skill descriptions on the paper. "And this unique skill that lets you create magic independently? I've never seen anything like it in all my years. Does this mean there's essentially no limit to how much magic you can create in the future?"
Magic in this world was divided into two types: innate magic and acquired magic.
Innate magic was tied to one's aptitude or racial traits. Magical races, for instance, often awakened innate magic through potential talent, training, or rituals. While these spells had fixed tendencies, they were typically powerful, large-scale, and highly effective.
Acquired magic, on the other hand, was born from God's grace—a realization of the individual's potential, shaped by their interests and understanding. It was boundless in its possibilities and entirely unique to the individual.
But someone who could create magic entirely on their own? That was unprecedented.
"What kind of absurd skill is this? It's ridiculously strong!" Loki exclaimed, half in awe, half in disbelief. "At this rate, you could eventually become a one-man legion of mages!"
Even beyond that, the synergy between Izzy's two other skills—one enhancing mental fortitude, the other strengthening physical resilience—was remarkable.
"These skills have so much freedom built into them," Loki murmured, her expression serious now. "But their true potential depends entirely on how you develop them. The early stages will be tough, but in the long run..."
Meanwhile, Izzy was preoccupied, his gaze fixed on the magic listed as Silver Star Advent. A strange clarity began to form in his mind.
"Orionids: Draw the Curtain..."
He suddenly had a faint understanding of why his bond with Artemis had grown so strong, so quickly.
But before he could follow that thought any further, Loki gave him a light tap on the head.
"What are you daydreaming about, kid? Spacing out in a moment like this? Are you thinking about some beautiful girl? Planning to return to your hometown and marry her once you've made it big?"
"Of course not! What are you even talking about, Goddess?" Izzy shot back, flustered.
"Huh?" Loki narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"I misspoke! What nonsense are you talking about, Goddess?"
Izzy's fluster only deepened because, in a sense, Loki wasn't entirely wrong.
"Alright, fine, I won't press you on this," Loki said with a sly grin. "But seriously, kid, if anyone catches wind of your abilities, it's going to stir up trouble. Be careful in the dungeon, got it?"
It was the second time Loki had warned him about this, which only underscored how much value she placed on the issue.
If word of Izzy's abilities got out, there was no doubt other gods would try to poach him. While Loki had the strength and influence to handle such challenges, she knew it was better to avoid unnecessary problems.
"Better safe than sorry," Loki muttered. "Even if I don't fear those gods, it's not worth the hassle of dealing with their schemes. The less they know, the better."
She glanced at Izzy, who was now studying the paper in his hands.
"Maybe this is just talent you can't compete with," Loki added with a wry smile.
Izzy, meanwhile, was grinning from ear to ear, his enthusiasm plain as day.
The dragon of success had already swooped down on him from the start—what more did he need to think about?
Rubbing his hands together with excitement, Izzy had already started to think about his plans for tackling the dungeon.
"Let's set a small goal first," he muttered to himself with a smirk, "to reach LV5 within two years. With these two BUG-tier skills and an additional magic ability, I can absolutely defeat monsters above my level."
By then, Izzy thought confidently, he'd be ready to see how many lives Andaris had left to spare!
"You brat, you're really asking for a beating with that kind of talk!" Loki grumbled, giving Izzy a light slap on the back of his head. But even as she chastised the young adventurer, the corners of Loki's mouth curved upward, betraying her amusement.
There was no denying it—once Izzy grew into his potential, he would undoubtedly become one of the cornerstones of the Loki family.
No, Loki corrected himself. Perhaps, given time, Izzy could even become the strongest adventurer in all of Orario.
The idea wasn't far-fetched. After all, one of Izzy's skills enhanced his growth rate.
"I've never seen a skill like that before," Loki muttered to herself, marveling at the unprecedented ability. "But...hiss...this is going to be troublesome."
Loki's excitement over Izzy's potential suddenly gave way to a flash of realization, and her expression shifted to one of mild annoyance.
"Huh? Is something wrong?" Izzy asked, noticing the sudden change in Loki's demeanor.
"Of course, there's something wrong!" Loki shot back irritably. "Couldn't you have joined us earlier? Why'd you have to wait until my kids are getting ready for an expedition? Now I have to worry about your first trip into the dungeon on top of everything else!"
As she spoke, Loki ruffled her crimson hair in frustration.
It wasn't that Izzy wasn't capable—Loki had no doubt of his talent—but all adventurers, no matter how gifted, were at their most vulnerable when starting out at Level 1. The dangers of Orario's dungeon couldn't be underestimated, and a rookie's first foray was often the riskiest.
Usually, powerful clans like the Loki Familia would assign a senior member to mentor and guide new recruits. Alternatively, a novice could join a party arranged by the guild for extra safety.
But here was the problem: Loki's Familia was about to embark on an expedition.
With the entire clan focused on preparations, no senior member was available to accompany Izzy for his first dungeon run. And the expedition was set to depart in just two days—including today.
Loki sighed. That left exactly one day for Izzy to prepare, and after that, the Loki family would be fully committed to the expedition.
Dungeon expeditions were a cornerstone activity for large, powerful clans like Loki's. The immense resources required to maintain a family of this scale meant frequent ventures into the dungeon were necessary to acquire magic stones, rare items, and other valuable loot to sustain operations.
While expeditions were dangerous, the rewards they offered—experience, prestige, and material resources—made them indispensable. For the Loki family, monthly expeditions were the norm.
But Izzy's timing couldn't have been worse. His sudden arrival meant Loki's plan to assign him a mentor or bodyguard was effectively scrapped.
"If that's the problem, there's no need to worry," Izzy said confidently, catching on to Loki's concern. "I can handle the first few dungeon levels on my own. It won't be an issue."
Loki raised an eyebrow but said nothing, allowing Izzy to continue.
"Before I even received a Falna, I was already strong enough to kill monsters equivalent to Level 1 adventurers outside Orario. The only reason I got into trouble before was because I took down a lone gray wolf and ended up being chased by the pack."
Although monsters outside the city were typically weaker than those found in the dungeon, Izzy's reasoning wasn't wrong. With the blessing of the gods now empowering him, not to mention his newly acquired skills and magic, the gap in strength wasn't insurmountable.